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Do I have chronic sinusitis?
DiscoZombie
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So basically I'm stuffy in the back of my throat 24/7/365, no joke. Can't suck it down, can't blow it out. No other symptoms, just postnasal mucus. I've kind of learned to live with it, but it really sucks, and some days it's worse than others. Been this way for a couple years, more or less. Seems strange that I might have developed allergies in my late 20's. I've been referred to an allergist but haven't gone yet.
Is anyone else like this? Would over the counter products change my life? Claritin, or a neti pot, or something else? I hate the idea of possibly having to take a pill every day to not be stuffy, but it might be worth it. Bring on the testimonials!
Is anyone else like this? Would over the counter products change my life? Claritin, or a neti pot, or something else? I hate the idea of possibly having to take a pill every day to not be stuffy, but it might be worth it. Bring on the testimonials!
DiscoZombie on
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Oh, hey I'm making a game! Check it out: Dr. Weirdo!
That would be ideal, but sadly I was just on an antibiotic regimen for a flu or flu-like infection a few weeks ago and it didn't help
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/09/990910080344.htm
Essentially, there is a very high correlation with fungus and chronic sinusitis. Also of note is that mold, which is present nearly everywhere, is fungus - and releases spores based on humidity. Most cooling/heating systems have mold problems because of the humidity that's prone to build up between thermostat cycles.
Now, I'm not saying this is definitely the cause, but for me it was. I had chronic sinusitis for years, and the mold toxicity ended up causing more and more symptoms until I got treated for it.
Another point supporting this theory is that taking antibiotics kills the good bacteria, which normally keeps fungus in check - and most people have taken lots of antibiotics in their life. For me, consecutive courses of antibiotics made my chronis sinusitis (caused by mold) turn into a systemic immune reaction that put me in the hospital.
edit: also, the fact that you can't get rid of the mucus at all suggests that it may be thrush, which is characteristic of mold infection.
tl;dr: You should look into whether mold is causing your problem as it was for me.
He will probably order an X-ray of your paranasals.
I am not an expert, but what you describe does not sound like sinusitis.
I hope not the former - flu is a virus, antibiotics are completely ineffectual against virii. Are you sure you weren't prescribed an antiviral? If your doctor is prescribing antibiotics for suspected viral infections, find a new doctor.
Systematic fungal infection is typically going to be caused by candida albicans overgrowth. Could be something else, but that's definitely the most likely.
A symptom is constant sinusitis. I used to have it. I can give you advice on how to beat it, assuming that is your problem.
And it sounds like you have sinusitis (in response to the guy who said it doesnt sound like you have it). I had constant post nasal drip for years. and got bronchitis pretty much every winter. fun stuff.
Do you have any digestive problems? any other chronic symptoms?
re: digestive problems, I actually am a vegetarian probably due to digestive problems (I stopped eating meat when I was just a toddler so it probably was because it made me sick, not for ethical reasons). I suspect I have food allergies that have been undiagnosed but haven't been tested yet. I want to go to an allergist but I'm a lazy bum.
see an Ear Nose and Throat guy and he will schedule you for a CT scan. They will get to the bottom of it one way or another.
If you're a vegetarian and your problems do come from candida overgrowth, then you're probably SOL if you want to stay a vegetarian. I believe there are ways to diagnose it via stool samples. Talk to a gastroentologist about it. Not all "believe" in candida overgrowth, but a good one will. Don't expect your primary care physician to know anything about it.
There are prescription anti-fungals you can take (nystatin, diflucan, lamisil) but they frequently will only weaken the infection, and as soon as you go off symptoms will start to come back. As to how to really beat it, here is my answer:
As you can see, I do not expect you to do this. But something to keep in mind if other possible causes don't pan out and you ever want to solve your problem.
And if it isn't obvious, the reason for the sugar free and starch free diet is to starve candida - it feeds off sugar, which is why it's so difficult to get rid of once it's established in the small intestine. Without doing that your body is going to have a very hard time fighting off the infection, especially considering one of the confirmed mycotoxins from candida albicans is gliotoxin, which weakens the immune system.
I was diagnosed with "unspecified food allergies." Nobody could figure out what specific foods I was allergic to though. I was put on a variety of diets and the results were completely random; symptoms kept recurring despite a gluten-free diet being helpful in the short run, for example.
This was due to opportunistic mold being able to colonize your body and cause what is described as anaphylactic shock like hypersentivities. My "allergies" turned out to be that sort of reaction.
Anyway, I know I suggested it, but keep in mind this isn't definitive. Statistically though, and from personal experience, this seems most likely. It also took over a dozen of doctors to diagnose me. Before getting a proper diagnosis, doctors made me take a hell of a lot of different medications, some for "anxiety" and some for "panic attacks" which were really all symptoms of severe systemic infection.
One doctor who initially couldn't figure it out was nice enough to persevere with me long enough that we bounced enough ideas off each other to come to this conclusion.
Anyway my point is, make sure to rule out fungal infection. What geckahn said about candida is absolutely correct. Many don't "believe" it and dismiss it as quackery, but the research which proves it is most definitely there. In fact, geckahn is also right about Nystatin weakening it. Just today my doctor and I made the decision to switch to a systemic drug to get rid of the remnants of this disease once and for all.
If it does turn out to be a systemic fungal infection, I'd be willing to help you out too.
Best of luck.
I've got to echo Fantasma here. It's probably wasted effort since you're asking on a forum for medical advice, but why have a bunch of strangers on a forum try to guess what's wrong? Get to a doctor and get proper medical care. END OF STORY
chronic post nasal drip is most definitely sinusitis. I'm not sure how you could be confused about that.
The antibiotics kinda miss the point. If it's as chronic as he says it is, then they would clear up it for only a short time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-nasal_drip
Multiple causes, you're not qualified to diagnose let alone treat. He should see a doctor if he's concerned. END OF STORY.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinusitis#Chronic_sinusitis
Seeing a doctor is implied with terms like "rule out [x]."
More specifically, OP wanted to find out if "anyone else was like this" and yes, I was, and for a specific reason which I outlined.
I refer'd him to a specific type of specialist to see if he has a cause of chronic sinusitis.
I did this because no other type of doctor will ever diagnose that cause. So if it ends up being the problem, he'd be completely lost if he didn't go see a gastroentologist. and it's a sinus problem, so why would he go see a gastroentologist m i rite?
So don't be such a fucking cunt. Thanks.
Back off buddy. Read carefully over everything I've posted before you start making baseless accusations. In none of my posts did I claim anyone specific was giving him bad advice. I simple stated that the only advice that's really useful is that he should see a doctor. Which is in agreement with the advice you gave him. So I'm kind of amazed that you think I'm being a cunt to you. Maybe you just have a persecution complex?
so, was the caps lock broken on your keyboard? or what's the deal with that? END OF STORY
I certainly plan on seeing a doctor at some point, but as some have said already, doctors don't always know wtf is wrong with you, especially if you have something somewhat unusual like constant stuffiness at the back of your throat and no other symptoms. Though I guess it can't be *that* unusual if 2 or 3 people in this thread have had near identical symptoms. I was mostly looking for some ideas of what I *might* have, so at least I could theoretically have possibilities to mention to a doctor. Sinusitis caused by fungus seems like the most likely candidate at this point. I've been to a doctor already and all I got was a referral to an allergist, who may or may not help. an ear-nose-throat specialist should probably be my next step after that.
Without targeting anyone, let me just clarify that I'm simply saying that even if a doctor doesn't know what's going on right away, the medical professionals are in a much better position to find out than some guys on the internet. What worked for a dozen other people doesn't necessarily have any bearing on your situation. It can be tempting to get frustrated with those doctors that you'd think would be able to figure it out quicker because that's their job, but the point is that a good doctor is going to be scientific about it (while still treating you with respect) and not just go based on anecdotal evidence that something worked for someone's cousin.
It's ultimately your choice of course, I'm just sharing my perspective that your best bet is with professionals. Even if they don't have a solution as quickly as you'd like, taking the advice of non-professionals can waste your time, your money, and even potentially hurt your health.
There are two over the counter methods that I've used/had recommended. (You should still check these with your doctor btw.) One is using the nasal sprays that have hydrochloric acid in them to temporarily break up the mucus. Sometimes this works, but it's not a good long term solution. The second is one that my last ENT doc had me do. Essentially, to help prevent sinus infections, I put 1 to 3 drops of iodine in my nasal rinse every now and then. If you have a full blown infection, this won't help, but it's something to help prevent according to her.